


Her, With The Hair

by Wwalm



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Arguing, Bookstores, F/M, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Muggle London, No Means No, Past James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Tags Are Hard, Teen Romance, mood, no one is dead!, petunias a bitch, teen spark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2020-06-27 07:55:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19786552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wwalm/pseuds/Wwalm
Summary: In the muggle world, Lily and James meet for the first time in a bookstore. And they, as love occasionally does, get off to a rocky start. But Lily is amazing as always.





	1. Yo This One's Mine

**Author's Note:**

> I got inspired to write this after I spent three hours in a Barnes & Noble a few days ago, and I've just been feeling Lily vibes a lot lately and I love it. Also, I kind of wrote this just to show that some boys just don’t take a straightforward “no” for an answer. No does NOT mean yes!!!! I cannot stress this enough. Enjoy.

Frizzy, fiery, wavy red hair. Eyes. Beauty. A true fairytale. 

Those four things were the first the brunette noticed about her when he grabbed his book. "'Pardon me," he interpreted. She immediately looked up from the novel she was reading and moved aside to allow him to reach his own. He gave her a polite smile as he rifled through the pages, which she returned shyly.

"Yes!" the boy exclaimed, finding the page he desired. He drew a pencil from the bag he wore and quickly wrote a note in the book. Then, after sticking the pencil behind his ear, he withdrew his phone, and took a picture of the note he had written on the page. Finally, he erased the note from the page and replaced the book on the shelf. 

A quick glance up showed that the girl was still there, not bothering to hide her shock.

"You're-- I mean, you just-"

The boy nodded, showing no signs of embarrassment. "Yup, just wrote in a book. But I did it with pencil, and I erased it afterward. See? All trace of it is gone."

The girl snorted. "Sure. Don't you know that every mark you make in a book will be there forever?"

The other threw his hands up in defense. "Hey, no one will notice. Anyway, it's just a book."

If it was possible for the girl's eyes to get wider, they did. She made a choked sort of noise and continued the conversation by exclaiming, "Just a book? It's pure, iconic literature! I'll have you know," she put her hands on her hips, "my mother is a library director, and--"

He raised his eyebrows as she broke off. "Sorry," she muttered. "I don't even know you. But please, for the sake of sanity, please don't do anything to a book other than read it. Ever again."

He sucked in a breath, thinking. How could he do this smoothly? "Well," he began, tilting his head to the sky, "how do you know I'll never do this again? We're strangers."

The girl rolled her eyes. "What's your name?"

"James," James answered easily, running a hand through my hair.

"I'm Lily." Lily stuck out her hand, and James shook it. Her grip was firm and warm. She withdrew and finished, "See? We know each other's names. We're not strangers. Now, would you please promise not to ruin any more books?"

James shrugged. "Sure."

She raised her eyebrows. "Really? That simple?"

James nodded. "One condition, though. I want to get to know you."

Lily frowned. "Never mind. Destroy any books you want."

James gapped, honestly offended. "You would really risk innocent books being destroyed, rather than go on a date with me? You don't deserve to read that trashy book."

"I happen to think Dickens is fascinating, thank you very much, and I--" Lily stopped and stared at him. James grinned and hastily ran a hand through his hair, hoping the ginger wouldn't notice his pitiful mistake.

"Did you just say a date?"

James coughed uneasily into my hand. "I mean, I didn't really, I mean if you wanted to, but, maybe..." he trailed off desperately. Of course he wanted to go on a date with her. She was beautiful, and sassy, and obviously smart enough to be reading Dickens; everything James desired in a girl at the young, naive age he was. 

Lily scoffed incredulously. "You honestly expect me to go on a date with you? We just met! I hardly know you! And, judging by our conversation, I'd rather date Dickens than hang out with you, let alone go on a date!"

James's face fell as Lily said this. “Wow, Lily, don’t be too hasty, now, I was just trying to be friendly…”

Lily huffed in anger, much to James’s dismay. “Hasty? Friendly? Really? I cannot fathom--” she broke off and stared at him, determined not to cause a scene. “You know what? I’m leaving.” She brushed past him and stalked off in pursuit of her sister. “Tuney?” James heard her calling in the distance as he stared after her.

He sat on a bench and shook his head in disbelief. The one bloody girl he wanted… he couldn’t get…. This had honestly never happened before, James realized. Girls, and occasionally boys, often flocked at his side everywhere he went, having a famous dad and all. But this girl, Lily, was extraordinary. And he had to see her again.

“Wait!” he yelled, earning a glare from a clerk while running after her, “Lily!” The said girl turned at the door, curious to see who was yelling her name in a bookstore, when James ran up to her. Immediately, the former rolled her eyes and began to leave with her sister, however James grabbed her arm before she could.

“James! Let go of me!”

“Please,” he begged, locking his eyes with hers as she tried to pull away. “I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you in any kind of way, and I just want you to have--well--here. Please use it, because you’re so intriguing, and your hair, and I just want to get to know you. I promise. It won’t be a date. I swear.” James thrust a piece of paper into Lily’s hand, and jogged off.

Lily watched him leave, dumbfounded. “Like hell I’ll call him,” she remarked to Petunia; the latter of which was absolutely disgusted.

“What did he mean about your hair?” Petunia wondered in a not-so-subtly jealous voice. Then, she shook her head. “Never mind. Lily, let’s go. I’ve had enough of this place.”

Lily agreed with a nod, and as she followed her sister towards home, she thought of the number crumpled in the pocket of her trousers. For if she dialed the digits, and pressed call (and that was a BIG if), would James answer? Or would he have moved on to another girl in the next minute? 

…

Lily was an optimist. She had always been, for she yearned for a peaceful future. That was why, in the end, days later, she decided to call James, for (although she would never admit it out loud) she had been slightly intrigued by him as well.

“It’s not too late to hang up, It’s not too late to hang up, it’s not too late…” Lily chanted to herself as the phone rang.

Finally,

“Hello?”

Lily took a deep breath. It was too late.

“Hello?” the voice repeated. “Padfoot, I swear, if this is you butt dialing me whilst you have sex with Moony again…”

“Hello, James,” Lily interrupted, biting her lip. “It’s Lily. You know, from the bookstore?”


	2. Love, Lovely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lily and James have finally become friends, and have gotten drunk *ahem, slightly tipsy.* conversations and varies topics progress from there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s mostly dialogue but it’s a cute conversation

(Several months later)

Lily let out an enormous laugh, most likely due to her being tipsy. “Stop it,” she giggled, clutching her stomach. But James did not comply, and continued with the drunken activity he was pursuing. He eventually did manage to squeeze next to Lily on the miniature seat. When both were settled, James turned to Lily with a serious face, one that didn’t seem quite so drunk anymore. Lily stopped laughing.

“What’s your greatest fear?”

Lily started. “What?”

“Tell me. We’re not strangers,” James convinced, referring to the way they met a few months ago. Lily chuckled in her tipsy state.

“Fine. My greatest fear…” James gazed into her eyes with expected deep interest. “Would probably be… er… my sister never speaking to me ever again.”

James nodded insightfully. “Actually me too, but with my friends.”

“Moony, Wormtail, and Padfoot, I presume?”

“Yeah. And you, of course.”

Lily was surprised. “You would care if I never talked to you again?”

“Well of course. What would I do without my best gal pal?”

Lily snorted. “Gal pal?”

James nodded. “You’re a friend. Friend is the same thing as pal. You are also a girl--”

“An interesting observation,” Lily interrupted.

“--Which automatically makes you a gal. And,” James finished, “that makes you my gal pal.”

He took a grand bow in the position he was seated in and Lily clapped enthusiastically.

“Bravo,” she said. “truly a remarkable job. I don’t see how anyone else could have done it.”

“Thank you. Thank you very much.”

“You’re most welcome.”

James grinned at Lily, but Lily shifted. “Tell me something that you’ve never told anyone before.”

“I carry no secrets.” James spread his arms wide to emphasize this fact. “I’m an open book.”

“You just have something. Everyone has a guilty pleasure that they’ve never told anyone.”

“Nope, sorry. Moony, Wormtail, and Padfoot know every single fact about me.” James shrugged. “Sorry.”

“They even know that you’ve fallen in love with me?”

James shook his head. “What?”

“I said,” Lily repeated in reality, “They’ve seen your baby pictures? Everyone has embarrassing baby photos that they’d never show anyone.”

“Oh.” James swept a hand through his hair. “I mean, what’s to hide? Why wouldn’t I want anyone to see cute little ol’ me? What about you?”

Lily chuckled. “There’s this picture of Petunia and me naked in the sink as babies… posing in a really bad way… I wouldn’t want anyone to see that, especially Sev, and I’m sure she wouldn’t either.”

“Like this?” James change his position to a very crude one, forcing Lily to gasp in shock and cover her eyes.

“Stop that!” she shrieked, laughing. “But yes, it was very much like that.”

James smirked. “Who’s Sev?”

Instantly, Lily grimaced. “Oh, sorry. Severus used to be my best friend. Sometimes my brain just slips him into conversation and I don’t notice.”

“Why aren't you friends anymore?” James asked, extremely interested.

“He… I mean, we did everything together when we were little, he introduced me to life, practically, and oh, I don’t know. We grew apart I suppose, as friends occasionally do.”

James sensed he wasn’t getting the full story, but thankfully for Lily, he decided not to press.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

“It’s alright. What can you do?”

“I’m really glad you decided to call me.”

“Me too.”

“Sorry for the way I treated you in the bookstore. I never really apologize.”

“It’s ok.” Lily unconsciously shifted closer, however James noticed, and finally made a decision.

“You finish Dickens yet?” He wondered, changing the topic, very nervous indeed, internally wondering if he could pull this next part off as well as girls claimed.

Lily rolled her eyes. “Ages ago. I read very quickly.”

“Well, can you read this?”

And suddenly, James was kissing her, and she was kissing back, and oh they’d been friends for way too long and nothing else in the world mattered. He cupped her face with his hands and she wrapped her around his neck, and it felt so right to both, that none wanted to stop. It was only when a car honked outside that Lily fully came to her senses and pulled away.

“We’re drunk.”

“I don’t feel very drunk right now. Do you?”

“I-- not really, but I think it’s better if we stay friends.”

“I don’t want to be friends. Do you?”

“It’s more practical, and--”

“Do you want to stay friends, though?”

“No,” Lily admitted quietly. “But I’m not one to act on drunken irrationality.”

James sighed and looked down. “Maybe I should go.”

“No-- James-- wait!”

James had stood up by the time Lily said this. He took to the stairs, about to head down, but Lily caught up with him.

“James!” the called boy turned, and Lily grabbed and kissed it, and the other did so back.

“I don’t feel very drunk right now,” she whispered against his lips when they broke apart. “Do you?”

James shook his head. “No. Kiss me again.”

Lily complied, and neither left each other’s arms again.

(A/N: Sorry I didn’t really know how to end it, but I’ll probably change it later. Until then. Xoxo)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, right? Crazy how I updated so quickly! Only one day apart! The place where I’m staying at the moment has a really good keyboard; I really enjoy typing on it, and this was the result of it. Lastly (as always), thanks for reading! Leave kudos and some comments on your way out!
> 
> (Also, hopefully I can get my next chapter of The Tune Of The World out in the next few weeks or so!)
> 
> Also, I may have already mentioned, but my instagram is @lyrically_pleased please go check it out and give me a follow, it would be most appreciated.

**Author's Note:**

> It's been so hard for me to write but hopefully after I get back from a trip, things will calm down. Thank you so much for reading; please give kudos and comments!


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